Examining the Interplay of Dust and Defects: A Comprehensive Experimental Analysis on the Performance of Photovoltaic Modules /

Abstract

The efficiency and performance of photovoltaic modules are greatly impacted by dust accumulation and defects appearing in PV modules. Existing studies primarily focus on the effect of dust on general photovoltaic performance, neglecting the interactions with pre existing snail trails. The current research presents a comprehensive analysis that investigates the dust accumulation impact on the performance of snail trails affected photovoltaic modules. The investigation utilizes an experimental setup under outdoor operating conditions, encompassing indoor and outdoor tests incorporating thermal imaging, IV curve tracing, and EL imaging. Subsequently, a chemical analysis of accumulated dust is conducted. These testing/material characterization methods were used to evaluate electrical and thermal parameters including the photovoltaic modules’ surface temperature. The study focuses on three types of modules, clean serves as a reference module (PV-R), normal unclean (PV-N), and snail trail-affected unclean PV module (PV S). The study meticulously quantifies the effect of accumulated dust on key performance indicators such as output power, V, and I, compared to the clean module (PV-R). The (PV N) module exhibits reductions of 17.7% in current, 3.91% in voltage, and 18.15% in power output. The (PV-S) module experienced a decrease of 7.4% in current, 7.55% in voltage, and 14.87% in power output under the dust deposition density of 6.984 g/m² having a mean particle size of 2.2279 μm. Furthermore, the thermal effect of dust accumulation was also considered. The front and rare surface temperatures of the (PV-S) module were 2.28 and 4.91 times greater than the (PV-N) modules. The dust sample’s chemical analysis revealed a composition predominately comprising oxygen, followed by silica, carbon, aluminum, and iron. The UV-viz spectroscopy showed that the dust deposition reduced the transmittance of glass by 20%, which indicates a potential adverse impact on the PV module’s efficiency. These findings provide a significant understanding of the detrimental impacts of dust accumulation on photo voltaic modules, highlighting the need for regular maintenance and cleaning to ensure optimal performance.